Guard for starting mechanism of sewing-machines



I J. KIEWICZ. GUARD FOR STARTlNG MECHANISM OF SEWING MACHINES.

APPLICATION FILED APR. 26, I920. I

Patented Nov. 29, 1921.

Fig.1.

' ATTys \nvenTor. John Kiew-ic WM UNITED STATES PATENT orFrc f JOHN KIEWICZ, or BosToN, MASSACHUSETTS, AssrCNoE To THE REECE BUTTON HOLE MACHINE COMPANY, or BOSTON, MASSACHUSETTS, A CORPORATION or MAINE.

GUARD FOR STARTING- MECHANISM OF SEWING-MACHINES.

on the drawing representing like parts.

This invention relates to sewing machines and particularly to sewing machines ofthat type which are provided with a w0rk-hold-- ing means that is removable from the frame and replaceable therein, and one of the principal objects of the invention is to provide a safety gnard which will prevent the operator from starting the machine if the work-holdingmeans is not in its'proper position. If the sewing machine should be started with the work-holding means in an improper position, there is danger that some of the moving parts would be brokenor damaged.

While my invention is applicable to different sewing machines, I have shown it herein as it would be applied to a buttonhole sewing machine of the type shown inUnited States Patent No. .1,188,94;2,"June 27, 1916. In this patent the work-holding means which holds the work in which the buttonhole is to be formed comprises a clamp-plate slidably mounted in ways in. the bed-frame of the machine and removable bodily from said ways, and work-clamps pivotally carried by the clamp-plate and removable bodily'therewith. The device shown in said patent also comprises .a starting lever arranged to be depressed by the finger of the operator and which functions to set the machine in operation. In order that the machine inay work properly, it is essential that before the starting lever is depressed to start the machine, the clamp-plate with the Work-clamp pivoted thereto should be properly positioned in the ways and properly connected to the feed mechanism by which the clamp-plate is given its feeding movement, for otherwise some of the parts of the machine are liable to be damaged. I have, therefore, in the present invention provided a guard member which is constructed to preventthe starting lever from being depressed except when the clamp-plate is properly positioned in Specification of Letters Patent. Application filed April 26, 1920. Serial No. 376,500.:

Patented Nov. 29, 1921.

its ways and connected to the mechanism whlch gives it the feeding movement.

Since the invention relates simply to the means for preventing the operation of the starting lever except when the work-clamp is properly positioned, I have not deemed it necessary to illustrate a complete sewing machine herein, but have simply shown a suficient portion thereof to enable my inven-- tion to be understood. v

Figure 1 is a plan view partly broken away of the clamp-plate, starting-lever andportion of the bed-frame of a sewing machine embodying my invention.-

Fig. 2 is a side view of the starting-lever and safety-guard looking from the top of Fig. 1. v V p In the drawings, 1 indicates the bedframe of a sewing machine of the type illustrated in the above-mentioned Patent No.

1,188,942, and 2 is the clamp-plate portion of the work-holding means which slides back and forth in suitable ways 3 formed in the bed-plate. The clamp-plate has pivoted thereto the usual work-clamps 4:, said clamps being sustained by the pivotedarms 5.v The startlng' lever by' which the machine 'is started is mounted on the bed frame and is indicated at 6, and it is shown as carried by a vertical stud 7 which is capable of rocking about a 'horizontal'axis, and is formed at its end with a finger piece 8' to' receive the finger of the operator. started by depressing this lever toward'the bed-plate, this movement rocking the stud 7 and thereby releasing the clutch-mocha nism which starts the machine, all as shown in the above-mentioned patent.

The machine is V p To prevent the starting lever from being actuated except when the clamp-plate 2 is properly positioned, I have provided a guard member 9 in the form of an L-shaped plate which is situated between the startinglever and the bed-platel andisplvotally connected to the bed-plate at 10. Thestarting-lever is formed with a'depending projection hand the bed plate is also formed with an opening or recess 12 to receive said projection when the starting lever is depressed. The safety guard 9 is also formed with an opening'13 which'when alined with the opening 12 ermits the starting lever to be depressed. f, however, this opening 13 is 911 at line, wi h t e rec s 12 th n the starting lever is prevented from being clepressed by engagement of the projection 11 with the guard member 9. Therefore, in order to start the machine, it is necessary thatv the guard-plate should be properly the recess 12: lVhile this result may be accomplished in various ways, I have herein shown a construction wherein the safetyguard 9 is acted on by a pulling spring 14; which tends normally to swing it into a position with the aperture 13 out of line with the recess 12. This pulling spring is connected at one end to the guard-member 9 and at the other end to a post 15 which is rigid with the bed-plate 1 and is located in a notch 16 formed in the safet -guar'd. The'end 17 of the notch acts as a stop to limit the springimpelled swinging movement of the guardmember. The safety guard memberis also formed-with an extension or cam portion 18 which is situated to be engaged by the portion 19 of the clamp-plate'2 when the latter after having been introduced into the ways 3 is moved toward the right, Fig. 1, into the proper position to be connected to the feed mechanism. Such position is shown in :Fig, 1. This connection with the feed mechanism is effected by a hook 20 on the clamp-plate engaging a pivoted latch 21 carried by the feed slide, all as shown in the above-mentioned patent.-

The engagement of'the parts 19 of the clamp-plate with the extension 18 of the guard member 9 will swing said guard member from the dotted to the full line position Fig. l againstthe action of the spring 14;, and when the guard-member is brought into the full line position the aperture 13 therein is carried into line with the recess 12 so that the starting lever 6 can be depressed.

The .construction is such that the guard member 9 is not properly positioned to permit the starting lever to be depressed until the clamp-plate has been moved into, the

position to be engaged with the latch 21 and, therefore, if the operator should insert the clamp-plate 2 carelessly and should not give it a sufficient movement to the right, Fig. 1, to engage it with the latch, the guard member 9 would not be positioned correctly to permit the starting lever to be depressed, and, therefore, the operator would be unable to start the machine. When the clamp-plate 2 is disengaged from the latch 21 and re- -moved' from the machine the spring 14 will automatically swing the clamp plate 2 into its dotted line position, in which position it will prevent the actuation of the starting lever 6. 7 7

The guard member-9 is shown as having a portion 22 which extends beyond the bedplate 1 and which forms a finger piece that may be grasped by the operator to manually operate the guard member if it is desired for any purpose to start the machine when the clamp plate is removed.

It will be seen from the above that with my invention if the operator has been careless in placing the clamp-plate in the machine and has not properly connected it to the latch 21, the guard member 9 will prevent his depressing the starting lever and thus settingthe machine in operation, and, therefore, if the operator attempts to start the machine and finds he cannot depress the starting lever, he will know that the clamp plate is not properly positioned and will haveto remedy the difficulty before he can start the machine. I

I claim:

1. In a sewing machine, the combination with a base-frame, of work-holding means removable therefrom, a starting lever mounted on the base frame and by which the'machine is started, and'means to prevent the operation of the starting lever to start the machine until the work-holding means is in proper position;

2. In a sewing machine, the combination with a base-frame, of work-holding means removable therefrom, a starting lever mounted on the base'frame and by which the machine is started, and meanscontrolled by the. work-holding means to prevent operation'of the, starting lever until the workholding means is in proper position.

3. In asewing machine, the combination with a base-frame ,jof work-holding means slidably mounted thereon and provided with a hook, of a latch member to engage said hook when the work-holding means is properly positioned, a starting lever mounted on the base frame and by which the machine is started, and means controlled by the work-holding means to prevent the starting lever from being operated except when 'said'work-holding means is properly engaged with said latcl a. In a sewing machine, the combination with a base-frame, of a clamp plate slidably mountedthereon, means to clamp the work a to theclamp plate, a starting lever by which theimachine is started,a guard member nor- .mally preventing operation of the starting lever, but adapted to be moved into a position to permit said lever to be operated by the clamp.plate when the latter is in proper position.

5. In a sewing machine, the combination with 'a base frame, of work holding means slidably mounted thereon, a latch to engage said work-holding'means when in proper position, a starting lever by which the ma,- chine is started, a guard member normally preventing the operation of the starting lever, said guard member having a portion to be engaged by the work-holding means when the latter is in position to engage the latch whereby said work-holding means when in such position holds the guard member in a position to permit the starting lever to be actuated.

6. In a sewing machine, the combination with a base frame, of work-holding means removable therefrom, a depressible starting lever mounted on the base frame and constructed to start the machine when it is depressed and means to prevent the starting lever from being depressed until the workholding means is in proper position.

7. In a sewing machine, the combination with a base frame, of work-holding means removable therefrom, a starting lever mounted on the base frame and by which the machine is started, and a movable guard member which in one position is operative to prevent the starting lever from being operated and in another position permits said lever to be operated, sald guard member being constructed to be moved into its inoperative position by the work-holding means when the latter are in proper position.

8. In a sewing machine, the combination with a base frame, of work-holding means removable therefrom, a depressible starting lever mounted on the base frame and provided with a finger piece by which it may be depressed thereby to start the machine, and a device movable from operative position in which it prevents the starting lever from being operated to inoperative position inwhich it permits said starting lever to be operated, said device being moved into inoperative position by the work-holding means when the latter are in operative position. I

In testimony whereof, I have signed my name to this specification.

JOHN KIEWICZ. 

